The present invention relates to the industrial field of automotive equipment, more particularly exhaust devices, particularly catalytic containers, acoustic catalytic containers and mufflers, and has for its object a process of producing catalytic containers.
The invention also has for its object a device for practicing this process.
Catalytic exhaust containers are generally in the form of a porous active monolithic body surrounded by an insulating mat and disposed in a cylindrical recess of corresponding size, this recess being provided at its ends, if desired with the interposition of corresponding porous holding rings, of truncated conical parts, if desired insulating, for connection to corresponding connection pipes.
Generally, the porous active monolithic body, which is constituted in the form of one or several cylindrical elements, is fixed by means of adhesive strips or metallic fasteners, in the insulating mat and is if desired provided at its ends with corresponding porous holding rings, then the obtained assembly is mounted in a pre-cut tube, by means of an independent insertion machine pushing said assembly into said tube. This new subassembly is provided with a marking reproducing the different characteristics of the catalytic container, then the ends of the pre-cut tube are if desired provided internally each with a truncated conical concentric wall, on which said ends are deformed in truncated cones by rotary spinning or by hot pressing, after preliminary heating of the latter by induction, to produce peripheral chambers that are insulating or not, forming the connection parts to corresponding pipes.
The porous holding rings, which can be mounted at the ends of the active monolithic body, are generally made of a metallic mesh. The truncated conical concentric walls which can be mounted within the pre-cut tube, on opposite sides of the active monolithic body, can if desired be provided with metallic mesh rings, and are first produced by rotary spinning or by stamping and are disposed in said pre-cut tube before the respective rotary spinning or pressing operations of the two ends.
The operations of deformation by rotary spinning or pressing of these ends are at present carried out successively and independently, either on a same machine, with turning and reassembly at the end of the first operation, or on two identical machines mounted opposite each other or side by side, the two being then dismounted from the first machine after the first operation, to be reassembled with the rotary spun end in the second machine, for carrying out the second operation.
The machine or machines used for this purpose are preferably of the horizontal spindle type with digital control. In the case of the use of two machines mounted in opposition, it suffices merely to provide a rectilinear transfer means for the piece to be machined, from the first toward the second machine. In the case of the use of two machines disposed side by side, the corresponding transfer devices of the type permitting turning of the workpiece during its transverse movement from one machine to the other.
The truncated conical concentric walls adapted to be mounted if desired within the pre-cut tube for the production, by rotary spinning or pressing of the ends of said pre-cut tube, of the peripheral insulating chambers forming the connection portions to the corresponding pipes, are preferably mounted in the corresponding ends during the intermediate operations, just before rotary spinning or pressing of the corresponding ends.
These processes for producing known catalytic containers permit of course the obtention of technically correct workpieces. However, their use is relatively long and complex, requiring separate work stations, in certain of which the operations are carried out entirely manually, such that the time necessary for the production of these containers is relatively long, which considerably increases their sales price.
Moreover, the operation time is also prolonged, because the heating of the ends of the pre-cut tube, before the operations of rotary spinning or pressing, must be carried out entirely independently of these operations, which is to say by first placing about said ends induction heating means, these means having to be removed to permit the use of deformation rollers.
The present invention has for its object to overcome these drawbacks by providing a process and device for the production of catalytic containers, permitting producing said containers in a series of uninterrupted operations limiting human intervention to a minimum of operations.
To this end, the process for production of catalytic containers is characterized in that it consists essentially, on a single semi-automatic line, in preparing at least one monolithic body, if desired with metal mesh end rings, in surrounding said monolithic body with an insulating mat and cementing said insulating mat to said monolithic body, then inserting and positioning the obtained subassembly, automatically, in a pre-cut tube, marking said tube with its technical characteristics, then transferring it into a specific means for holding, gripping and driving in rotation, introducing if desired into each end of the pre-cut tube an insulating cone, then simultaneously heating the ends of said pre-cut tube, deforming said ends, after reaching a predetermined temperature, by means of a roller deformation device, while holding a forming temperature, withdrawing and discharging the obtained container after the rotary spinning or pressing operation, toward a continuous cooling device, the container being received at the outlet of this cooling device in an accumulation means before ultimate storage, processing or assembling.
The invention also has for its object a device for practicing this process, characterized in that it is essentially constituted by a station for preparing at least one monolithic body, by a mounting and positioning assembly for said monolithic body in a pre-cut tube, by a marking station for the pre-cut tube, by specific means for holding, gripping and driving in rotation, by stations for distribution and any desired emplacement of insulating cones, by an installation for heating and holding at a temperature the ends to be deformed, by a roller deformation device, by a means for extraction and discharge of the obtained container after the rotary spinning or pressing operation, by a continuous cooling device, and by means for accumulating before any desired storage, and processing or assembling, the assembly of the interconnected elements by means of transfer devices, in a continuous line.